The Tire–Gökçen Artificial Recharge Project was planned and implemented by our founder, Alim Murathan, during his service at the DSİ 2nd Regional Directorate. Due to its originality, scientific depth and engineering scope, the project is recognized as one of the most comprehensive artificial groundwater recharge initiatives ever conducted in Turkey.
The project was carried out on a 1,430,000 m² state-owned land located in Gökçen Village of Tire District. The main objective was to recharge the underlying alluvial aquifer using water diverted from the Eğridere Stream during the wet season, applying an artificial recharge technique based on spreading and infiltration through open basins.
As part of the hydrogeological investigation:
exploratory boreholes were drilled,
infiltration test ponds were constructed,
monitoring tests were performed,
aquifer pumping tests were carried out,
permeability tests and laboratory analyses were conducted.
These studies were used to determine the hydraulic properties of the alluvial aquifer, including hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity and storage characteristics. Based on the field data, analytical and numerical groundwater models were developed to estimate infiltration rates, optimize basin dimensions, evaluate total recharge potential and predict groundwater level rise and variability under different operating scenarios.
A feasibility and economic analysis was also conducted, demonstrating the economic benefits and long-term sustainability of the artificial recharge system. The project stands as a milestone in managed aquifer recharge (MAR) practices in Turkey and serves as a reference model for future groundwater augmentation projects.
